The New HistWar Patch

This game is buggy.  The interface is improving but still not great.  The historical research is flawed (see Battle of Montebello).  And yet it is the best game of Napoleonic warfare you will probably ever play.

The game's designer, creator JM Mathe is the French equivalent of Norb Timpko (NorbSoftDev's Scourge of War and Take Command Series). Mathe has breathed life into HistWar and this wonderful recreation of the Napoleonic battlefield. No major gaming house would obsessively spend as much time as Mathe has probably spent on this game (and the second version is coming out soon).

It has a new patch which you can download here with improved graphics and tweaks to the gameplay/interface.

My early tactical plan at Montebello (based on Jozef Poniatowski's presence on the field of battle, this OOB should be for Russia or Leipzig and not Italy where Montebello is).  This bird's eye view of the battlefield with the orders displayed is a great feature of the game. 

Lefebvre's line fires into retreating Russian infantry. I am using the 10:1 sprite ratio.  This ratio seems to run best on my laptop.  You can also play at 1:1 and 2:1.



Battlefield overview map.  The majority of my orders are issued on this map.  Trying to send orders in the 3D environment doesn't always work.  Montebello map place names are fictitious.
The Coalition left flank is anchored by Buxhowden's corps.  Histwar battlefields are immense and so you will find yourself managing at a Corps level 80% of the time.  Trying to manage each regiment would be almost impossible.  For example, while I was watching Lefebvre's men in action on the right flank, Austrian Cuirassiers savaged a battery of artillery on Lefebvre's left.  I only realized it had happened after I noticed a cannon retreating to the rear.

  
This battery anchored Lefebvre's center.  Two regiments of line infantry were positioned by the AI commander in support of this battery.  My contribution to the battery's safety was to move up two more regiments and station them to the rear.  After realizing one battery of guns had been wiped out by Austrian cavalry, I needed to protect these guns until two more French Corps under Murat and Bonaparte could move into position.

As I said, this game is flawed and the gameplay can be frustrating but I continue to play it time and again.  I believe it is the best recreation of a Napoleonic battlefield ever made.

Comments

Olav said…
Hi,

Are you interested in any PBEM from CMSF or CMND? Historical scenarios only, no QBS, we like to keep it real :-)





Olav said…
schmolywar@gmail.com

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